The Wedding Ranch by Nancy Naigle

 

North Carolina author Nancy Naigle, known for romantic women’s fiction set in small towns, is bringing out her latest, The Wedding Ranch, in December. Ironically, the book begins with a divorce as Lorri’s cheating husband gives her a mastiff puppy and then leaves her to marry the dog trainer.

Since her life has changed with the divorce, she makes up her mind to leave Raleigh to create a new life, and she searches for a suburban home with room for her dog Mister to roam around. In her new home in fictitious Dalton Mill, North Carolina, Lorri switches to a work-from-home mode for her graphic artist profession.

She quickly makes friends with her neighbors and a farmer named Ryder who vows, like Lorri, not to get involved with anyone again after a traumatic loss. Ryder is also upset that his parents sold their farm to a developer, who built homes on 5-acre lots, one of which Lorri purchased. Fortunately, his grandfather deeded Ryder his own farm, but he remains irritated about development on farmland.

The Wedding Ranch, run by Ryder’s niece and nephew on land they rent from him, is a wedding venue booked by Lorri’s long-time friend, Cody. After a misunderstanding at the reception, Lorri and Ryder share several dances, igniting a spark that they both resist.

If readers think this sounds like a Hallmark movie, they wouldn’t be far off as two of Naigle’s previous novels have been the basis for two Hallmark movies.

Nancy Naigle, whose background is in banking, is retired and spends her time writing, antiquing, and crafting. Her books Christmas Joy and Hope at Christmas were both adapted for film on the Hallmark Channel in 2018. In addition, she enjoys riding her palomino Tooter.

My review will be posted on Goodreads starting August 14, 2022.

I would like to thank St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in return for an objective review.